Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-02-11
EIGHT MONTHS A FUGITIVE.
The Adventures of Missouri Judge While
Evading Federal Process-His Capture by a
United States Marshal

United States Marshal.
Judge Scott, of ST. Clair, who has been
in hiding to avoid the process of the @.
S. circuit court, was, Thursday last, cap
tured by Deputy United States Marshal
j. P. Willis, says the st. Louis Globe
Democrat. 1t is exactly eight months
ago that Deputy Marshal Willis started
out to hunt up the judge and arrest him
for contempt of court. He started out in
June, arriving st Judge SCOTS home
(0sceola) the Goth of that month. From
that time until last Thursday night, the
night of the arrest, the marshal, with
score of faithful aids, has Swallowed,
tracked, and bounded the fugitive Judge
day and night.
Thursday evening shortly before dusk
Judge Scott came to his home. He took
supper there. Some friends and neigh
bors came after supper, and the children
were having a frolic. At about 8 O'Clock
somebody was heard from the outside
shouting. Jnige Scott opened the door
and Marshal Willis presented himself.
Judge Scott stepped on the porch, and as
he did so Marshal Willis asked him if he
was Judge Scott. II am the man." ans
wered the Judge. "My name is Willis"
said the marshal. 'Glad to see you, sir,
come in," said the judge. Then, as if
sense of the ludicrous struck both men at
once, each broke out into hearty laugh
as they shook hands. The long chase was
over. They no longer thought of what
hard times each had in trying to elude
or catch each other. The queer and ride
ulous experiences each had undergone
were only remembered. They were
friends. Each settled himself down into
a comfortable chair and for three hours
laughed until the tears trickled down
their cheeks over the many escapades and
adventures of those eight months ex
ploits.
The flight of Judge Scott is history
in itself. To begin at the beginning, in
1868 Saint Clair county voted $250,000
in bonds to tho Tebo and Neosho railroad
The road was never operated, and the
bonded Indebtedness was never honored.
The county court met and adjourned,
but no action was ever taken. Interest
crowded on the capital, until to-day the
outstanding debt is about 100000.
As mentioned above, the bonds were
never honored, and the parties owning
these bonds brought suit in the United
States circuit court at Jefferson City and
got Judgement for the same. A levy was
ordered to be made upon the county to
pay the debt, and a peremptory writ of
mandamus was issued by the clerk of the
United States court at jefferson City,
calling on the county judges to make
the levy. These judges were Philli ps,
Copenhaver and Scott. Judge Phillips
expressed his Willingness to make the
levy and has been allowed to remain at
home unmoiested. The others declined
10 ba
haver was arrested last spring end put
under bond to answer at the September
term of court at Jefferson City. His
bondsmen gave him up at the time, and
he now lies in Jail.
In telling the story of the chase to
reporter, J Judge Scott said:
THE first time / saw, Willis was June 20.
He came up TO my house and represent
ed himself as a stockman from Wichita,
Kan, looking up brood mares. Twas sit
ting under an apple tree in my yard, less
than 100 feet away. l had good look at
him. Well then, about week after ward,
at the old settlers picnic he got up a
dodge whereby he wanted to buy 100
mares. l had a full beard on then and l
don't think he knew me. / saw him we'll.
From that time till now he has traced me
day and night. Why did he never catch
me? Well, I'll tell you. In the first
place nobody knew where L was, nor my
plans for the future. If l went up to eat
supper with a family one evening, l
would probably walk half dozen miles
further to find sleeping place. Then
when | woke up 1 would walk another
mile for breakfast. Marshall Willis pro-
badly knew where had been the day or
the night before, but he never knew
where | was going to be, in other words,
he always worked in tie past. That is
where had the advantage of him, and
would l ever have succeeded? Yes: The
only thing that kept me from giving my
self up was may pride. / didn't want to
be caught. If Marshall Willis hadn't
caught me last night he could have Sc
cured me any time hereafter
for [ had given up the race.
Yes, l think | enjoyed it heartily,
sit has been pretty close shave with
me several time" continued Judge Scott.
"Once one of his men brushed so close
past me in the road that L could have
pulled him off his horse if l had only
stretched out my arm. The only time, 1
believe, that Marshal Willis saw me was
i'll Osceola last July. | was standing
among group of men in front of the
bank one evening about shutdown. He
caught sight of me and looked intently
for while. I wheeled my horse and
took to the woods. The nearest Willis
ever got to me was when he and / took
our three-hundred- yard dash across field
and brush. | was just coming home
from neighbours where l had stopp ed
for the night. 1t was about o'clock in
the morning and barely daylight. Willis
had watched the house till night and
searched it all over for me. 1 reached
the top of a ridge. Then l saw him. l
looked at him a moment, when he saw
me. The thought struck me to give him
foot chase. So l struck out. with
lead of about 300 yards. In a minute l
reached the brush, took path, and soon
reached wood road. l stopped and
soon heard Willis slashing through the
underbrush. Here he made mistake.
He missed me so suddenly that he thought
l had climbed a tree. While looking up
on the run, naturally enough he ran
plumb against sapling, which laid him
out sprawling on the ground. In the
meantime l was leisurely making my way
to friends house. l frequently came
to town, but it was always at dusk when
the ma jority of the people were at sup
per. Then some friends always kept me
posted as to the movements of the mar
shall and his aids.
81 have no doubt that frequently 1 es-
capped through intuition. How was thats
Well, I'll tell you. Many and many. the
night I've laid awake thinking of some
scheme to elude Willis. On these occas-
ions the feeling would come over me that
all was not right, and l could not sleep.
Then I'd get up, dress and walk over to
the next neighbors. Subsequently my
premonitious were varitied, for sure
enough, in more than dozen instances,
Willis had gone to nab me there. l never
slept outside ence during the eight
months that l was chased. l never would
have hid myself in any home if the Uni
ted States marshal had come in to ask
for me. Wherever l went to sleep, be-
fore went to bed told them: If Willis
or U. S. marshal calls for me tell them
| am here But never tsld anyone of
my next stopping place.
You want to know about the secret
sessions of the county court? Well, I'll
tell you. l was presiding judge of the
county court. There was but one other
judge available; That was Judge Phillips,
Judge Copenhaver being then in jail.
We Souldn't let things run without a
court. Neither could we meet openly,
for the U. S. marshals we're after me.
The meetings were held at night, and
never in the same place twice in sue
cession. We met in private houses trans
acted our business, and adjourned. That's